Endarterectomy is a surgical procedure which generally includes the removal of the lining of an artery. Typically the artery is dissected longitudinally to expose an affected region from which plaque and other materials may be removed. Endarterectomy can be performed on almost any major artery that is diseased or blocked, and is most commonly used for the carotid, femoral, and popliteal arteries.
In a typical procedure, the surgeon makes a standard vertical incision in the neck of a patient, or a transverse incision corresponding to a skin line of the neck. The incision is deepened through and around subcutaneous adipose tissue, platysma muscle, the branches of the external jugular vein, and the border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle in order to expose the carotid sheath. Careful dissection is used to expose the common carotid artery and its external and internal branches. Vascular clamps are applied to the internal carotid artery, external carotid artery, and common carotid artery, and a vertical arteriotomy is made in the common carotid artery, typically below the bifurcation. The incision may be advanced into the internal carotid artery to a point beyond the area which contains plaque material.
An indwelling shunt may then be installed in order to bypass the clamped region of the artery so that brain perfusion is not disrupted. The artery is then clamped proximal and distal about the shunt in order to isolate a bloodless region for endarterectomy. Atheromatous material is then removed, first from the common carotid artery, then from the external carotid artery, and generally last from the internal carotid artery. After the endarterectomy procedure has been performed, the surgeon cleans the region of plaque fragments before removal of the shunt and closure of the vascular incision.
The above-described procedure, however, suffers from a deficiency which relates to the escape of embolic material which may lead to devastating neurologic complications, particularly when emboli escape through the internal carotid artery. Emboli may be produced through any step of the procedure where mechanical forces are applied to the artery, and these manipulations include clamping, unclamping, applying a tourniquet, dissecting the vessel, inserting and removing a bypass shunt, removing atheromatous material, cleaning the affected site, and suturing the vessel. Therefore, a need exists for an improved endarterectomy procedure and apparatus which will enable the surgeon to minimize the production of embolic material and to prevent the escape of embolic material during carotid endarterectomy, arteriotomy, and other vascular surgeries.